Ghost Transformation

What did Elder Sun mean by that? The Star Officials and Night Wanderers in the back row all heard the anguish in Elder Sun's voice. For a moment, they found it hard to comprehend—wasn't Yuanshi Tianzun the one who was doomed? The sandy ground would leave a Night Wanderer's stealth with nowhere to hide, and thirty bronze puppets could hack Yuanshi Tianzun to death in a frenzy of blades. Who was actually finished? If Yuanshi Tianzun were an Earth God, there would be nothing more to say. But he was a Night Wanderer; even with defensive items from the Earth Monster class, he could never withstand thirty battle sabers. Faced with inquiries from Elder Hongying and the others, Elder Sun snapped irritably, "I once repaired a pair of shoes..." Shoes? Several elders of the Taiyi Sect continued to stare at him with puzzled expressions. Just then, a sharp, ringing clang from the arena interrupted their conversation, and the elders turned their attention back to the ring. Under the manipulation of the spirit servant, a bronze puppet swayed from side to side, closing in on Yuanshi Tianzun with the bizarre yet rapid gait of an abnormal titan. It raised its rust-pitted battle saber high and hacked down viciously. Zhang Yuanqing raised his saber to parry, feeling as though what slammed down upon him was not a blade, but the Great Sage Equal to Heaven's Golden-Hooped Rod. The skin between his thumb and forefinger instantly tore open, blood pouring freely. *Is this a puppet? This is a freaking Fire Specialist! No, this is the brute strength of a Bewitching Demon!* Zhang Yuanqing nearly burst into curses, ready to accuse his opponent of cheating. A single puppet possessed such terrifying monstrous strength; wouldn't thirty of them hack him to pieces? A chill ran through his heart, and the hairs on his neck stood on end. Seeing Yuanshi Tianzun overpowered by a single puppet, the spectators outside the ring cried out in alarm. Surrounded by thirty puppets, how could Yuanshi Tianzun fight? The crowd felt all the more that the duel was perilous, and Yuanshi Tianzun was extremely likely to fall under Zhao Chenghuang's counterattack. "Get lost!" Zhang Yuanqing's anger flared. The muscles in his arms tightened, and with an explosive burst of strength, he forcefully shoved the puppet's saber back. Taking advantage of the puppet stumbling backward, thick, pitch-black energy surged from his eyes, his demeanor turning sinister and noble. He reached out, trying to grab the black thread above the puppet's head. Yet even as a Night Wanderer, his palm passed right through the black thread, grasping nothing. "Fuck, I can't touch it?" Seeing the bronze puppet regain its balance and thrust forward with its blade, Zhang Yuanqing cursed as he retreated. *If I can't deal with the black threads, then I just have to eliminate Zhao Chenghuang's spirit servant...* He glanced at the spirit servant floating behind Zhao Chenghuang. His raging expression shifted, curving into a sinister sneer. "Even if I die today, I'm going to devour your spirit servant!" Looking at the suddenly erratic Yuanshi Tianzun, Zhao Chenghuang frowned slightly and said indifferently, "Knowing you won't die in an arena match, are you deliberately venting in anger? No matter. Soon, I will let you taste what it feels like to be sliced to ribbons." Dropping his sinister demeanor, Zhang Yuanqing hurled curses back. "So what if I threaten you? Not only am I going to threaten you, I'm going to screw your ancestors!" "Impudent brat, what arrogance!" In the elders' gallery, Elder Zhao—the very ancestor in question—fumed with rage. Zhao Chenghuang shut his eyes slightly, focusing on regulating his breathing to recover stamina. Behind him, the spirit servant lifted its lowered face, two ghostly dark beams shooting from its eyes. The next instant, the bronze puppets bounded forward with sabers in hand, wobbling in a stiff posture yet moving with extreme speed, like thirty horrific abnormal titans. Facing a swarming army of formidable foes, Zhang Yuanqing retreated once more and summoned a second item. Two streaks of dim red light wove together, wrapping around his feet. His running shoes vanished, replaced by a pristine, oversized pair of Red Dancing Shoes. Right at that moment, the first bronze puppet lunged in. Its left leg kicked back, its right leg strode forward, its torso leaned back dramatically, and its right arm raised the rust-pitted saber high. It slashed down with all its might. Zhang Yuanqing had originally intended to sidestep the blow, but the Red Dancing Shoes had their own ideas. A flash of red light carried him into a pirouette. Just like ballet—an elegant spin. The second bronze puppet arrived, bringing its saber down in a vertical chop. The edge sliced past Zhang Yuanqing's body, but he had already slipped clear thanks to that graceful spin. The third bronze puppet closed in, chopping vertically. The fourth, the fifth... Zhang Yuanqing spun elegantly, a succession of sabers crashing down behind him like guillotines. Every single blade nearly struck him, missing by mere millimeters. Though it appeared perilous, he remained perfectly composed, twirling gracefully amidst the forest of blades. *Don't... don't play like this, it's kind of embarrassing... If the Cat King Speaker were here, the soundtrack would definitely be 'Spinning, jumping, eyes shut tight'...* Thinking of all the people watching, Zhang Yuanqing felt his face flush red. The first form of the Red Dancing Shoes was pursuit—unstoppable, indestructible, and impossible to terminate, belonging to the rule-based category. In the past, it was the ability Zhang Yuanqing had relied on most. By contrast, he rarely used its second form. But now, with enemies growing stronger and the shoes' offensive power waning, the second form proved invaluable. The second form granted evasion, agility, and the ability to sprint across any terrain. The ideal scenario for this form was a chaotic melee—passing through a myriad of blades without a single drop of blood touching his flesh. Watching Yuanshi Tianzun slip effortlessly through the puppets' encirclement after donning the dancing shoes, Zhao Chenghuang's cold, indifferent expression abruptly darkened. A surge of restlessness rose from deep within him. Why did he still have trump cards? Why was he so tenacious? Why couldn't he be utterly crushed? Zhao Chenghuang finally felt a genuine sense of wariness toward this opponent. *This...* The audience outside the arena stared wide-eyed in stunned silence. What kind of reflexes, what kind of agility allowed someone to evade so gracefully in the midst of thirty bronze puppets? "Those are the red dancing shoes from yesterday's dungeon trial!" "They're the ones granting Yuanshi Tianzun such astonishing evasion!" "Capable of pursuit and escape alike—that's a divine artifact! Who said Yuanshi Tianzun had no top-tier items? This is already his second one! Where's that Grand Academician of Wenyuan Hall? Come out here right now, I'm gonna beat you to death!" Gasps of wonder rippled through the stands. The official combatants of the Five Elements Alliance felt their spirits lift; moments earlier their faces had been clouded with worry, but now their brows danced with exhilaration. On the Taiyi Sect's side, however, the Night Wanderers and Star Officials frowned deeply. This Yuanshi Tianzun was simply too persistent, pulling out one item after another. What had seemed like a certain loss had been turned into a prolonged struggle. Elder Sun murmured quietly, "It's those shoes..." He had handled the Red Dancing Shoes and seen their attributes. Therefore, the moment he saw Zhao Chenghuang's trump card was the Soldier Puppet Storage Box, Elder Sun knew trouble was brewing. Trying to overpower someone with sheer numbers in a group brawl would force any competitor in the Transcendent stage to surrender; even an Earth God would risk being chopped to pieces by wild slashes. Yet Yuanshi Tianzun, and only Yuanshi Tianzun, possessed those red dancing shoes. "Those shoes are...?" Elder Zhao asked with a grim face, his tone growing serious after witnessing the uncanny power of the Red Dancing Shoes. Elder Sun sighed. "The Sheling Tunnel!" Elder Zhao fell silent for a long moment, then slowly exhaled. "So it's that item." Elder Hongying and the others all recalled it. Back then, to conquer the Sheling Tunnel, the Taiyi Sect had stationed two Night Wanderers in Songhai for a long period. Although those two members unfortunately returned to the Spirit Realm, they had brought back crucial intel: an anomalous rule-based item was inside the Sheling Tunnel. *Sheling Tunnel... Red Dancing Shoes...* In the back row, Yin Ji seemed to recall something. Her slender frame trembled slightly, her lips beneath the veil pressed tightly together, and water glistened in her beautiful eyes. A distant, half-forgotten voice echoed in her ears: *"Back when I was very weak, I once entered the Sheling Tunnel. There was a very interesting pair of dancing shoes in there. Big sister, after meeting you, I often thought that if I could ever return to the Sheling Tunnel, I'd definitely bring them out and give them to you." "You went into the Sheling Tunnel? Nonsense, the Sheling Tunnel is an unconquered dungeon." "I never said I cleared it." "Nonsense again! Then how did you get out?" "That's a secret I can't tell. Give me a kiss and I'll let you know." "Phooey!"* Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing, dancing amidst the blades, carved out a smooth semi-circle, bypassed the cluster of bronze puppets, and closed in on Zhao Chenghuang from behind. *The most cost-effective way to break this deadlock is destroying his spirit servant!* Zhang Yuanqing sprinted forward. At five or six meters away, he accelerated violently, transforming into a dark blur sweeping behind Zhao Chenghuang. Striding forward, Zhang Yuanqing slashed his long saber with a ferocious expression. He had originally considered using the straw doll, but activating its corruption ability required several seconds of preparation. In those few seconds, the spirit servant would have more than enough time to turn the bronze puppets around and counterattack. Zhao Chenghuang calmly brought out the little clay figurine, cradling it in his palm. *Hum!* The narrow-bladed saber cleaved into the hazy gray barrier of light, carving out a shower of sparkling fragments. Communicating with the Red Dancing Shoes, Zhang Yuanqing reclaimed control of his feet. Shifting his footwork, he swiftly circled to Zhao Chenghuang's side, thick black energy surfacing in his eyes. Attacking Zhao Chenghuang was meant to force him into a defensive move, and his only defensive item was that clay figurine. The item slot limit prevented him from utilizing any other defensive equipment. Once he used the figurine, his movements became clumsy. Under the intimidating gaze of the Night Wanderer, the spirit servant froze stiff, as though confronting a terrifying natural predator. *The distance is enough!* Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth, intending to perform Spirit Devouring from a distance. Right at that moment, a dark figure crashed in from an angle behind him. At the critical juncture, Zhao Chenghuang had summoned his yin corpse to protect him. *Sploosh!* Unable to dodge in time, Zhang Yuanqing took the direct hit, spraying out a fountain of water. Carried by momentum, the Level 4 yin corpse smashed through the enemy's body, continuing forward. The water rained down, reforming into Zhang Yuanqing's body. He had been wearing the Yinyang Robe all along; the Water Ghost's passive ability was a divine skill against physical attacks. Unfortunately, this passive had a cooldown and could not be maintained indefinitely. *I'll let you handle my feet after all,* Zhang Yuanqing thought silently to the Red Dancing Shoes. *Thud!* Zhao Chenghuang put away the little clay figurine. The moment Yuanshi Tianzun's body restored itself, and the moment dark energy surfaced in Yuanshi Tianzun's pupils, Zhao Chenghuang decisively struck out. Sprinting forward at top speed, he drew his right arm back. A fist smashed toward the opponent's cheek. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing aborted Spirit Devouring without hesitation and brought his saber down. *Bang! Crack!* Zhang Yuanqing's neck seized with a sickening crunch, his head spinning one hundred and eighty degrees until he was looking at his own back. Meanwhile, his battle saber tore open Zhao Chenghuang's chest, exposing severed bones and glimpses of internal organs. Zhao Chenghuang's face contorted, and he retreated rapidly. *Crack!* Zhang Yuanqing twisted his neck, wrenching his head back into place. *Well, well... one punch just cured my years of cervical spine stiffness,* he thought, making light of the pain. At that moment, the spirit servant behind Zhao Chenghuang broke free from the effects of Spirit Devouring and violently yanked back the black threads on its fingertips. Bronze plates clanged together as all thirty bronze puppets were pulled back simultaneously. They flew into the air like marionettes hoisted aloft, raining down upon Zhang Yuanqing in an overwhelming barrage. As they descended, the bronze puppets raised their battle sabers. The Red Dancing Shoes on Zhang Yuanqing's feet flared with brilliant light, sprinting frantically without looking back. Seeing that the enemy was about to flee the area covered by the puppets, the spirit servant clad in tattered robes pressed its ten fingers downward. The thirty puppets plunged like fishing bobbers biting the hook. Thirty standard-issue sabers capable of cutting iron like mud struck down from all directions, leaving Yuanshi Tianzun nowhere to dodge. Just then, heavy, thunderous footsteps rang out. Corpse No. 1, clad in armor, charged through like a chariot. The descending bronze puppets were knocked flying in all directions. Zhang Yuanqing executed a slide, skidding out of the zone amidst the billowing dust. Behind him, heavy bronze puppets crashed down like hail, kicking up plumes of yellow sand. The raggedly robed spirit servant thrust its hands upward, and the fallen bronze puppets sprang to their feet, surrounding Corpse No. 1 with raised blades. *Buzz, buzz, buzz...* The barrier projected by the armor shuddered violently, showing signs of imminent collapse. Enduring the chaotic barrage of slashes, Corpse No. 1 swung its fists left and right, beating back one bronze puppet after another with ear-piercing metallic clangs. These puppets were not only immensely powerful, but also possessed bodies of bronze and bones of iron. *No good. If this continues, the armor's defense will break...* Zhang Yuanqing immediately issued an order to break out. Yin corpses possessed little intelligence; without an explicit command to retreat, it would fight on until hacked to pieces. Corpse No. 1 promptly abandoned its defense, lowered its torso, and sprinted to the side, bowling through the bronze puppets blocking its path. The moment it broke out of the circle, the Level 4 yin corpse charged like a raging bull, plowing into it and pushing it over a hundred meters until crashing into the stone wall beneath the spectator stands, sending cracks spidering across the stone. The two yin corpses tangled once more, trading brutal, flesh-thudding blows. On the other side, alerted by the ambush, the tattered-robed spirit servant deployed five bronze puppets as bodyguards, arranging them in a fan-shaped formation in front of Zhao Chenghuang. *What a pity. The decapitation strike failed!* Zhang Yuanqing leaned on his saber, his gaze passing over the bronze puppets to look at the heavily panting Zhao Chenghuang. Neither side pressed the attack, falling into a brief standoff. "Haa... haa..." Zhao Chenghuang gasped violently, looking down at the wound across his chest and abdomen. The bleeding had stopped, turning dark red—a sign of imminent scabbing. Yet for an injury this severe, even with a Night Wanderer's self-healing capabilities, it would take several hours to recover. His condition had deteriorated once again. Suppressing his fury, Zhao Chenghuang pondered carefully and concluded he had two viable tactics: First, stall for time until the duration of the red dancing shoes expired, then command the bronze puppets to swarm and subdue Yuanshi Tianzun. Second, accumulate stamina until he had enough to unleash Ghost Transformation once more, at which point he could act as the general leading his soldiers to slay Yuanshi Tianzun. The core of both tactics was "stalling for time." *This spirit servant is quite smart, knowing to set up guards...* Zhang Yuanqing was likewise considering his options. The second form of the Red Dancing Shoes could only be worn for five minutes. Once the five minutes elapsed, he would have to cancel the form and switch to the pursuit command. There was no concept of a cooldown mentioned in the Red Dancing Shoes' attribute description, but through long use, Zhang Yuanqing had pieced together the pattern. The proper rotation for the Red Dancing Shoes was: First Form + Second Form + Awkward Dancing! That constituted one cycle. Of course, he could also do First Form + Awkward Dancing, or Second Form + Awkward Dancing. In short, after using either form, Awkward Dancing was mandatory before a second cycle could begin. *Zhao Chenghuang's spirit servant is guarded by bronze puppets. I tried just now, and a forced assassination is very difficult to pull off... That leaves only the dumbest method. Fortunately, my stamina is virtually untouched...* Watching both sides temporarily halt their clashes, the spectators' enthusiasm cooled slightly as rational thought returned: "What a pity. He could've used Night Roaming to ambush the spirit servant, but the arena turned into sand, so Night Roaming still leaves footprints. Yuanshi Tianzun failed just now." "Huh, why hasn't Zhao Chenghuang ordered the bronze puppets to attack? Shouldn't he be draining Yuanshi Tianzun's stamina right now?" "A thought just struck me—what's the cost of Yuanshi Tianzun's red dancing shoes? Items that buff one's state usually have a time limit, right?" "You mean Zhao Chenghuang is probing the shoes' price?" "Zhao Chenghuang even managed to figure out the flaw in that robe. Probing the cost of a pair of shoes is nothing for him." A hush fell over the surroundings. Elder Sun's expression improved slightly as he said, "The duration of that item's second form is five minutes. Zhao Chenghuang's tactic is spot-on—protect the spirit servant, and once Yuanshi Tianzun's item runs out, launch the counterattack." Hearing this, Elder Zhao stroked his beard and smiled. Elder Hongying chuckled as well. "Then all is well. Yuanshi Tianzun is truly a tenacious child. Watching him advance step by step from the preliminary matches to the final battle, I admire him greatly..." She stopped there, knowing that continuing would be equivalent to saying, *Old Sun, you've made a terrible mistake.* Just then, the audience saw Yuanshi Tianzun, clad in the red dancing shoes and holding his long saber, charge single-handedly toward the puppet army—like a lone hero marching into the ranks of ten thousand. *Has he lost his mind?* The spectators gasped, and the elders were momentarily stunned. *Thud, thud, thud...* With his saber lowered and his robe trailing behind him, Zhang Yuanqing charged toward the bronze puppet army like a war chariot. At high speed, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly slid a step to the left, narrowly slipping past an enemy's downward slash. Whipping his forearm back, his muscles swelled dramatically as he lashed the narrow-bladed saber outward. *Clang!* The narrow-bladed saber whipped across the bronze puppet's chest, leaving a deep gash. *Talk about tough hides...* Zhang Yuanqing complained inwardly. His body suddenly dipped, allowing two battle sabers to sweep over his head. Then, guided by the Red Dancing Shoes, he sprang upward, driving his saber against the puppet in front of him, the blade grinding across the bronze torso and sparking blinding flashes. Two more sabers struck from behind. The Red Dancing Shoes leaped into the air, kicking off the chest of the puppet before him to execute a backflip that cleared the incoming blades. Flipping in mid-air, Zhang Yuanqing gripped his saber with both hands and let out a low growl, cleaving downward with the full momentum of his descent. *Clang!* The narrow-bladed saber cleaved into a puppet's shoulder, gouging a gash over ten centimeters deep. The skin between his thumb and index finger tore violently, dripping with blood. Zhang Yuanqing retreated rapidly, exiting the area before the bronze puppets could encircle him. *Damn it, even with the saber's sharpness, I still can't smash these things to pieces...* Clinging to his saber as he backed away, Zhang Yuanqing grew anxious. At this rate, the five minutes would soon be up. What should he do? His thoughts raced, and he suddenly remembered when Big Muscle Tyrant and White Dragon teamed up against the Level 3 Witch Doctor, Rampant and Unbridled. Back then, Rampant and Unbridled had transformed into a gu-beast, his chitinous armor impervious to blades and spears. Big Muscle Tyrant had first attacked with fire, White Dragon rapidly cooled it with water, and finally Guan Ya fired precise shots to easily pierce the armor. The moment that memory surfaced, Zhang Yuanqing decided on his third item. Opening his inventory, he drew the Explosive Pistol, raised the muzzle, and pulled the trigger on the charging bronze puppets. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* Dark red streaks crossed the air, slamming into the puppets and detonating across their chests and faces. When the explosive rounds struck the bronze bodies, they didn't produce sharp metallic clangs, but rather dull, concussive detonations. The bullets functioned like miniature grenades packed with explosive force. The areas struck by the bullets turned a mottled dark cyan, shimmering with iridescent hues while puffing with gray smoke. Zhang Yuanqing kited the enemies while firing continuously. Because the distance was short, nearly every shot hit its mark—at worst, slightly off-target, with a shot aimed at the chest drifting down toward the groin. After firing continuously for two minutes, Zhang Yuanqing stowed the Explosive Pistol. Black light coalesced in his left palm, condensing into a sphere of water the size of a human head. This was the limit of what he could achieve with the Yinyang Robe. After all, there were no rivers, ponds, or faucets nearby. Manipulating the sphere of water, Zhang Yuanqing pressed it lightly against the narrow-bladed saber. The chilling water flowed along the blade, enveloping it completely. *Taste my ice blade—no, water blade!* Having finished his preparations, Zhang Yuanqing surged into the puppet horde, saber in hand. With his back lowered and feet moving swiftly, he sidestepped, lunged obliquely, leaped, and split his legs, moving like the legendary Lingbo Microsteps—seemingly chaotic, yet concealing profound technique, always deftly slipping past the incoming strikes from every side. Simultaneously, he swung the narrow-bladed saber, thrusting, chopping, sweeping, and slashing, targeting the scalding-hot spots on the bronze puppets. *Sizzle, sizzle...* Dense smoke rose. Wherever his blade struck, the hardened bronze fractured instantly, the cracks spreading and tearing through entire bodies in an avalanching chain reaction. In one continuous charge, Zhang Yuanqing tore straight through the puppet array, arriving not far from Zhao Chenghuang. Behind his fluttering dark robe, the bronze puppets toppled one after another, shattered bronze fragments scattering across the ground. Right at that moment, the Red Dancing Shoes on his feet dispersed into red light, rematerializing a short distance away as a pristine, delicate pair of red dancing shoes. The skin between Zhang Yuanqing's thumb and forefinger had split to the bone, blood dripping down the blade, yet he paid it no heed. Looking at Zhao Chenghuang a few meters away, he lifted his chin. "How was that?" *That's what they mean by: master your math, physics, and chemistry, and you can walk under heaven without fear.* Zhao Chenghuang's face turned livid, his lips twitching faintly—whether from the taunt or from fury over the annihilation of his bronze puppets. At this moment, no puppets remained before him. As Yuanshi Tianzun shattered them one by one, Zhao Chenghuang had ordered the five guarding puppets to attack, but they too had failed to survive, falling beneath the enemy's ruthless assault. The spectator stands fell dead silent. Countless eyes fixed upon Yuanshi Tianzun standing with his saber. They had never imagined he would break the stalemate in such a fashion—brutal, wild, yet filled with exquisite technique! The Fire Specialists felt their blood boil, their breathing turning ragged with pure exhilaration. This was how a real man ought to fight! Seconds later, deafening cheers erupted, throwing the entire venue into an uproar. At that moment, the elders' gallery was remarkably quiet. With the duel progressing to this stage, all the items that could be used had been used, and all the tactics that could be deployed had been exhausted. Neither combatant had many cards left to play. Even as Dominators, it was hard to guarantee who would emerge victorious. The Taiyi Sect elders remained silent, their hearts heavy. They realized that Zhao Chenghuang might not claim the championship so easily. Meanwhile, the silence of the Five Elements Alliance elders was laced with a faint flicker of hope. By their assessment, Zhao Chenghuang had practically been guaranteed to take first place in the Transcendent stage. With Yuanshi Tianzun making it into the top two, the Five Elements Alliance had already met its objective—in layman's terms, their KPI was fulfilled. The elders had not counted on him winning the championship and had cheerfully placed bets on Fu Qingyang's book. Yet with the battle reaching this point, could there perhaps, possibly, be a turnaround? Elder Dog and the others suddenly grew hopeful, yet feared it was an illusion, choosing to keep silent. In the arena, Zhao Chenghuang took a deep breath and said, "Yuanshi Tianzun, I admit you are strong—strong enough to give me trouble. You are the most formidable Transcendent-stage Night Wanderer I have ever encountered. In the future, you may very well become my greatest rival." As he spoke, he opened his mouth and swallowed the spirit servant behind him. Staring solemnly at Yuanshi Tianzun, he said, "But that is in the future. As for now, I will still keep you beneath me." With that, Zhao Chenghuang retrieved a third item from his inventory—a leaf-shaped pendant—and hung it over his chest. Instantly, a gentle green light flared, wisps of green mist coursing through his skin, flesh, and meridians to mend the saber wound on his chest. Within a few breaths, the chest wound began to close and scab over, and the paleness in Zhao Chenghuang's face gave way to a healthy flush. He had not completely healed, nor had he fully restored his stamina; the recovery capability of a Transcendent-stage Wood Demon was limited and could not rival the miracle of Life Fluid. Yet it was enough. With this item, Zhao Chenghuang caught his breath, enabling him to execute Ghost Transformation once more. Zhao Chenghuang bent slightly, his muscles swelling into bulges as a pained roar escaped his throat. His frame suddenly towered, his skin rapidly shifting to dark cyan with a metallic sheen. Twisted black veins wound between knotted muscles, and his fingernails elongated into pitch-black, razor-sharp claws. A layer of white frost condensed beneath his feet, spreading outward as a suffocating aura of chilling cold engulfed the arena. "He can still perform Ghost Transformation? What is with this Zhao Chenghuang? How many trump cards does he have? Fighting Transcendent-stage opponents is practically a dimensional strike for him!" "Ghost Transformation again..." Looking at the monstrous Zhao Chenghuang, curses broke out in the stands. The spectators were on the verge of despair. They had watched Yuanshi Tianzun pour out every ounce of effort, repeatedly neutralizing Zhao Chenghuang's tactics and holding out with blood and sweat, only to be confronted with another Ghost Transformation. Even watching it made them despair; one could only imagine Yuanshi Tianzun's state of mind. The elders observed calmly without expressing an opinion, but after Zhao Chenghuang unleashed his second Ghost Transformation, the Taiyi Sect elders noticeably relaxed. The Five Elements Alliance elders remained calm. After all, this was within expectations; Zhao Chenghuang winning was the logical outcome. Having harbored no great expectations, they felt no disappointment. *I knew this guy still had tricks up his sleeve, otherwise he wouldn't have held onto his third item for so long...* Watching the transformed Zhao Chenghuang, Zhang Yuanqing knew that Wood Demon item was Zhao Chenghuang's safety net—a guarantee that he could unleash Ghost Transformation a second time. In his transformed state, Zhao Chenghuang's speed and power bordered on the Saint stage. In this current situation, it truly had the power to decide the match. "You truly are a terrifying opponent. Perhaps the absolute ceiling of the Transcendent stage." Zhang Yuanqing reached into his pocket, pulled out seven little blue pills while leaving one behind, and swallowed them whole. Then, in his mind, he visualized the face of his father, who had passed away years ago. *Thump-thump, thump-thump...* His heart beat violently, his blood rushing like a flood through his veins. Adrenaline surged as his entire body operated like an engine running at full throttle, every physiological function climbing toward its absolute limit. Thanks to the pills, he heard no cacophony of noise, and his brain received no fractured, chaotic visions. His consciousness was crystal-clear, his control over his body reaching the pinnacle. Zhang Yuanqing silently channeled the lunar energy within him, disrupting it bit by bit to ignite it. A sudden chill gripped his heart, and an icy torrent surged into his limbs and bones. "Hrrrgh..." Zhang Yuanqing hunched over. His skin rapidly took on a dark cyan hue with a metallic sheen, sharp black claws sprouted from his ten fingers, and thick, pitch-black energy filled his eye sockets. His physique expanded abruptly, his height stretching to one meter ninety. His muscles knotted, and black veins bulged across his flesh. A chilling white frost condensed beneath his feet, spreading rapidly in all directions. Within a few breaths, he transformed into a terrifying, ferocious monster, confronting the other beast from across the sands. Ghost Transformation?! Elder Zhao stood up abruptly, his gaze piercing as he stared intently at the arena. The Night Wanderers of the Taiyi Sect wore expressions of utter disbelief. The eyes of the Five Elements Alliance elders lit up fiercely. In the spectator stands, a figure in a white suit suddenly rose to his feet, no longer seated. Behind him, a group of White Tiger Guards stood up in unison. This movement triggered a chain reaction, waves of people rising as massive swaths of the audience stood up.